[thd] all we know of heaven, all we need of hell • • e l a i n e

One hundred and twenty seven. While it was no secret in the wizarding world that witches and wizards lived a lot longer than their muggle counterparts, Zephir was still always surprised when he heard about birthday parties such as this one. While he'd written all kinds of false papers for himself and his family, paying devious people to forge all kinds of things for him that would prove his fake bloodline, There were holes in his story that needed fixing. The womab whose birthday party it was tonight, her surname was also King. For all Zephir knew, she might be a distant relative or something. He was at least doing a little reconnaissance into the woman's family history to see if he couldn't adjust his paperwork to connect his fictitious family line to hers.

Zephir was in England again. Aside from the brief visit back to break into the horror of Hogwarts, grab Hester and break back out again, Zephir hadn't really bene home in a long time. He'd been in Malaysia. Vietnam. He'd been in China. He'd travelled to several places, working his ass of and writing academic research papers. He'd been collaborating. Collecting data. Collecting different studies and analysing them. Zephir had been building things, planning, working. Work had always been his life, but he'd never really wanted to just be a doctor. It was too small, too humble for a man of great ambitions such as himself. He was careful in every way. Planned every step. Even this party was just another step in his plans. Learning about the woman's family line was a secondary goal, really. Zephir knew several people that would be here tonight. People he'd have to write grants for. People he'd need to schmooze up to to get what he wanted.

A part of him would never feel at ease with such egregious displays of wealth. He wanted it badly, but being around it still filled him with a deep and immovable sense of distrust and anger. His eyes followed the line of the high, arched ceilings from the silver chandelier in the centre of the ceiling to the large, intricately woven tapestries hung on the walls. He was sure that any of the items in this room - the paintings, the wall hangings, the silver hat rack - could be sold for more money than his mother made in a year. He adjusted his inky black robes about his shoulders, taking care not to behave in a way that was too self-conscious.

This had been a stupid idea. It wasn't that she felt out of place, her outfit was classy enough for the party, one couldn't do anything wrong with a simple black dress, but Elaine still had no idea how to get the information she needed. A while ago she'd begun researching her family tree to see if she really was a muggleborn through and through or if there had been anyone magical in her family and her research had led her here, to a rich woman's 127th birthday party.

When she'd told her siblings about the woman's age they had laughed at her at first but after they'd realised that she was serious, they'd actually gaped at her with open mouths. It had been funny, really. However, it wasn't so funny anymore when she thought about the fact that she would probably get that old as well - if Eva wouldn't somehow manage to get her killed during one of their adventures - and they wouldn't.

Anyway. Now was not the time to have gloomy thoughts. Taking a champagne flute from one of the waiters, Elaine made her way through the room, thinking of a way to approach either the old witch herself or some of her relatives. The former Ravenclaw just took a sip of the surely rather expensive liquid when her brown eyes fell on a wizard she hadn't seen in years. Elaine had known Zephir King from Hogwarts but they'd never been friends or anything like that. They had met again at St Mungo's when he'd caught her stealing medicine for her sick sister and somehow she'd been able to convince him not to report her. In exchange for money he had even agreed to help Meredith and if it wasn't for him, the girl probably wouldn't be alive right now.

Elaine had been extremely grateful but after that incident they had parted ways again and she hadn't seen him since. Opting for a small smile, she approached the tall man, tilting her flute a little in greeting. "Mr King, what a surprise to see you here. Didn't know you belonged to such an exclusive family." She had no idea if he was really related to the old woman but it wouldn't surprise her, they had the same surname after all.

It took him a moment to place her. Just a moment. Elaine Morgan, he thought. The name came back to him as soon as he placed her face. Zephir remembered catching her stealing from the St. Mungo's stores. He'd held a wand to her back. It was a long time ago now, maybe two years, but Zephir had the sort of mind that kept memories like that for moments like this. "Miss Morgan," he said, greeting her with a nod. "Or is it Mrs Morgan? My apologies, I don't remember." Zephir smiled, his lips shaped somewhere between a casual smirk and a genuine smile.

"Opulent, isn't it?" he asked, ignoring the question in her statement as he gestured around the room, drink in hand. The man had always known how to present himself to others. He had a knack for it. Zephir would never describe a scene such as this to someone like Farren Abercrombie, for example. He'd never point out the extravagance of it all to anyone with whom doing so would win him no favour. Elaine's muggleborn status put her in a category of people who were unlikely to have families with estates such as this. Wealth like this was generational, and muggle families didn't display their wealth like this. Not any more. Besides, she'd paid him for his services at one point, so she knew that he wasn't obscenely wealthy. Might as well turn that disadvantage into clever positioning.

"How is your sister doing?" he asked politely, keeping his tone light. Zephir had broken all kinds of rules for this woman, but he didn't regret them. He'd needed money at the time quite desperately. Zephir was extremely careful when he ventured away from doing legal things. He didn't care much for the laws of the land so to speak, but he did care about his reputation and the invisible ladder he was forever ascending. He took no risks.

"Miss would be correct but I guess we we've already been past these formalities, don't you think?" Calling him by his last name had seemed right at first as this seemed to be a rather stiff and formal party but if she remembered correctly they'd already been on a first name basis when he'd treated Meredith. "And yes, it is. I'm not sure I like it," she replied honestly, her brown eyes taking in their surrounding. It was... too much. The glittering chandelier, the paintings that were probably worth more than she'd ever earn in her life... No, it wasn't her world and she didn't want it to be.

His question caught her attention again and she smiled softly when she thought of her little sister. "She's great actually. I think she hasn't even had a cold since... well, since you helped her." Since she'd almost died would be the right way to say it but it wasn't something she wanted to be reminded of. Moreover, he knew how serious it had been. "How have you been? Still working at St Mungo's? Caught another thief?" Elaine took another sip of her champagne while she waited for his reply. While she didn't really want to be that rich, she had to admit it had its advantages.

Suddenly the music that had been playing stopped and an elderly man walked on the small stage the musicians were on. Curious, the small witch focused on the man, her conversation with Zephir momentarily forgotten. Minutes later, as soon as she knew what this was all about, Elaine started chuckling softly and looked back up at the healer next to her. The birthday girl had apparently not lost her humour over the years. A few portkeys were now lined up on the stage and whoever dared could touch one and see where it would take them. Apparently all portkeys would lead to some place the witch had liked to visit over the years.

"What do you say? Fancy a little adventure?" Elaine had no idea if he would follow her but after sending her champagne flute with a flick of her wand away back to one of the various waiters, she took the first few steps towards the stage.

Zephir gave the slightest of shrugs, an unreadable expression on his face. "Things might have changed between now and then," he said, amused. For some reason, Elaine Morgan didn't strike him as the type to marry young. Perhaps it was the independent air she had about her. Perhaps it was the fact she'd so boldly tried to rob the hospital less than two years ago. He didn't presume to know her well enough to know what her life aspirations and dreams were, but for some reason early marriage and settling didn't quite fit right with his image of her in his head.

"I work for Mungo's still," he answered truthfully. He'd only been back at the hospital for a couple of weeks now, but technically he did still work for them. As a medical researcher, Zephir didn't spend as much time as he used to on the floor of the various wards. "No more thieves that I know of. I don't spend much time there any more though, so I wouldn't know." The man gave her a smile, just a quirk of his lips really. He liked that she didn't enjoy the grandeur of this event. He liked that he'd predicted as much.

The next stage of the party was announced and Zephir had to admit it was a surprise. The whole thing was kind of bizarre, but Zephir hadn't been to many 127th birthday parties so perhaps it was a tradition. He nodded when Elaine suggested an adventure, watching the rest of the crowd carefully to see what everyone was doing. He followed suit as she sent her glass away with a flick of her wand.

Zephir didn't mind travelling by portkey. It was a strange sensation, not one that he experienced a lot, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant. When they reappeared in their new destination, Zephir's ears were assaulted by the loud rock stylings of a band. He regained balance quickly and surveyed his surroundings. He certainly wasn't dressed for this setting. The nosebleed section of a concert? Zephir looked down at the group who were performing, artfully hiding his distaste at the sounds. "Weird Sisters?" he asked over the music, turning his attention back to his companion.

The former Ravenclaw was pleasantly surprised as he followed her. To be honest, she hadn't expected it, he didn't seem like the most spontaneous to her, but she was glad that he was apparently in for some fun. Well, if there was anything fun behind that portkey. Travelling to a random garden or even worse, a graveyard, wouldn't really count as fun, would it? Elaine's dark red heels clattered on the marble floor as she made her way through the group of people who were apparently not brave enough to touch one of the portkeys.

A golden goblet with deep green emeralds looked promising and after giving the taller man a mischievous look, Elaine's fingertips touched the cold surface of the goblet and seconds later she was at a... Weird Sisters concert? What the hell? A loud laugh escaped her lips as she realised where they were. They were indeed in the nosebleed section of a Weird Sisters concert. She'd expected a lot but definitely not that.

"I guess so," Elaine replied loud enough so that he'd understand her. "This is... unexpected." With another laugh she shook her head and looked at the people around them. Merlin, they were definitely overdressed. Automatically, her body moved to the beat, even though it was not her favourite kind of music. Damn, Eva would think this was hilarious. "So, do you want to stay for a while? Or we can just apparate back." The woman didn't know her companion well but if someone asked her, she'd say this wasn't his kind of fun at all.

Zephir adjusted the dark blue lapels on the blazer under his robes. Robes weren't very appropriate for concerts, he thought. His were black and classic and far too expensive to be worn in a place like this. The man glanced at his acquaintance, taking in her reaction and processing it quickly. He could almost see the calculations ticking away behind her brown eyes. She was making judgements about him, he thought. About his tastes and preferences and what his behaviour meant. He didn't know her well at all, but he liked that she was calculated. It was a trait he couldn't help but admire.

Zephir smiled slowly, shaking his head. He'd always been clever when it came to social positioning and he'd have to make do with the situation at hand. "It's not my kind of music," he admitted honestly. He gave her a well-natured smile to show that he was still fine to be here; that the mismatch between his tastes and their current activity wasn't really a problem. "Is there anywhere around here you think I could get a drink? Is this an all ages concert?" Zephir laughed lightly, playing off his own discomfort as best he could. "Elaine," he said. First names sounded a little too casual considering the mock-formal way they'd interacted when they'd first said hello this evening, but anything else would be out of place at a concert like this. "Do you know her? The birthday witch?"

"It's not really mine either. I guess you have to be fifteen or apparently one hundred twenty-seven to really appreciate it." Elaine looked around again and she could only see teenagers as well as bored looking adults, probably their parents. One of them had a plastic cup in his hand and she hoped there was some kind of alcoholic beverage in it. "Let's go down and try the entry hall, they might have drinks there. Plus, the music won't be that loud." Her words earned her a weird look from the girl next to her before she started screaming one of the band member's name again. As if he'd hear her up here... She really would have to tell Eva about all of this. She'd love it.

She heard his question but decided to leave the nosebleed section first. She managed to get down the stairs without stumbling in her heels and soon she left the dark and loud main hall, entering the light and slightly cooler entry hall instead. The music got quieter immediately and she relaxed a little, her brown eyes scanning the area for something to drink. "I'm not sure," she answered his question from before. "I found something about a magical family when I started analysing my family tree but I have no idea if it's the right one. What about you? Is she an aunt or something?"

"No one in between could possibly understand," Zephir agreed with a slight nod of his head. A guy no older than forty-two shifted out of the way for the pair as they left and he looked like he was attending a funeral rather than a concert.

It wasn't a lie exactly. There was a chance they could be related. There was an even higher chance that the paperwork would trace their blood connection soon, whether there was a real connection there or not. Zephir had gone to great lengths when he'd forged documents to prove his blood status as pure years ago, but he'd been a teenager and he'd been sloppier than he would be now. Too sloppy. There were certain powerful people who would be able to consult wizarding documents to prove him as a half-blood if they wanted to. At the moment, the young man was flying under the radar of most people who mattered, but sooner or later he'd find himself in the limelight again with another influential family. He needed to be ready.

Zephir felt himself relax as they moved away from the music. A part of him did want to go back to the party; he had work to do. There were other reasons he was there tonight and there were only so many events like this one that happened each year. Zephir had an intricate calendar drawn up in his office in his new apartment with all of the various global events he needed to show his face at. He watched the back of her head as they moved away from the concert. She was attractive, he thought. On his travels he'd been particularly busy and he hadn't let social engagements cloud his time or distract him. Perhaps he could do with a little distraction.

"Oh, you think you're related to her?" He asked, his eyebrows quirking slightly. Zephir wanted to avoid her second question; he'd done a good job of avoiding it earlier in the evening, but now she was being more direct. "I'm not sure," he said thoughtfully. "There's a chance we could be related."

"Honestly? Probably not. King isn't exactly an uncommon name and it's just so unlikely that my family has ever belonged to such an exclusive circle. There are no records of any family feuds or any disinheritances, at least I haven't found any." She shrugged, her shoulder length hair bouncing a little. "Besides, I can't just walk over to one of the family members and ask them, can I?" Elaine smirked at him and nodded when he told her that he could be related to the woman. "It's definitely more likely than me being related to her." She didn't know his blood status, all she knew was that he wasn't muggleborn.

The queue in front of the beverage stand was almost non-existent and she quickly walked over there and back with two cups of beer. "It's not exactly champagne but it's the only thing they have that has at least a little alcohol in it." The witch handed one of the cups over before she raised her own. "Cheers." It was okay but nothing compared to the drinks they offered at the party. Her gaze fell on her companion again and once more she realised how weird their encounter was. Here they were, talking at a Weird Sisters concert, as if they'd interacted more than a few times about two years ago which had been more on a professional basis.

"Shall we apparate back? The cups should be proof enough that we were really here. And I guess they have better food at the party than the greasy hot dogs they have here." Usually she didn't mind greasy hot dogs and beer but she hadn't made all the effort to get an invitation to the party just to ditch it for a concert she didn't really want to be at.

Zephir nodded as she spoke. He feigned the same casualness that she seemed to display when speaking of such things as blood and families. For someone like himself, there was nothing casual about it. "That sounds like a good idea," Zephir replied with a gracious nod. The smell of hot dogs and sauces really cheapened things, especially when juxtaposed against the more elegant things that they were wearing.

"Elaine?" he said, offering an arm as he drew his wand. It still felt strange to call her by her first name, but there was something refreshing about challenging his own internal social etiquette. When she touched his arm, Zephir turned slightly to his left, folding them both through space and barely flinching as the lobby they'd been in moments ago transformed into the front entrance of the manor they'd been in previously. Zephir adjusted the lapels on his deep blue jacket, then opened the wooden door for his companion. It was time to get back to the party.